Windows Store Preview & App Contest

Today at a Windows Store preview event in San Francisco, we announced the policies and business terms for the Windows Store. These details for the Windows Store are very important as it outlines the incredible economic opportunity for developers that Windows 8 represents as the Windows Store will be an integrated feature in Windows 8. For more details on what we’re announcing today, I suggest reading this blog post from Ted Dworkin. Ted is a Partner Program Manager for the Windows Store and is introduced by Antoine Leblond, Vice President of Windows Web Services.

Along with important Windows Store details, we are also inviting a set of developers to submit Metro style applications for inclusion in the Windows Store for the Windows 8 Beta in a First Apps contest. For more details on the contest, and a complete list of details including the official rules and submission of apps, head on over to http://buildwindowscontest.com.

As a developer, everything you need to get started developing for Windows 8 is available at the Windows Dev Center – including Visual Studio and the Windows 8 Developer Preview. And of course there is a plethora of sessions available online from BUILD at http://www.buildwindows.com/ to help you get started too.

Remember, for a behind-the-scenes look at the engineering of Windows 8, check out the Building Windows 8 blog.

I am extremely excited to see what kinds of apps developers come up with using the Metro style principles for Windows 8. I am also thinking about developing an app of my own!